Luka Sokolov - Chapter 2-2: Failure

Luka was beginning to breathe heavily, which was not a good sign. He can’t have been running for more than a good 15 minutes but it was beginning to feel like an eternity. Apparently one of his pursuers agreed, since he heard one say, “Enough with this game of cat and mouse, I will end this now!” He heard one set of footsteps stop running behind him and he could only assume it was the female harbinger who had spoken. The next thing he heard was the sound of electricity crackling and gathering. Not good! Luka dove to the side off the roof he was on and landed on another with a roll, hearing the sound of a lighting bolt fly through the air, missing him. This was bad. They had a magic user with them, so simply running was no longer an option. Luka looked around quickly in an attempt to find someplace he could lose them, but they were too close behind. If only he were faster... Ah-hah! An imaginary light bulb went bright over his head. Luka changed direction, now with a destination in mind, and continued running while dodging the lightning bolts as best as he could, thankful that his gifted perception didn’t end with his eyes.

After some time, Luka finally reached his destination; or at least as close to it as he needed. He turned around, sure that he was at the very edge of the building he was on, sorely hoping that the teleporting harbinger didn’t have access to levitation powers too. He held out his crossbow and the weapon-wielding harbingers stopped in their tracks. Soon the female harbinger caught up and gave a sadistic grin. “So, you finally decided to stop running, huh, you little bunny rabbit!” Luka frowned. So first I was a bird, then I was a mouse, and now I’m a rabbit? Will you harbingers make up your minds about what animal I am?! Luka aimed his crossbow at her, but didn’t shoot. “If you shoot me, they kill you. If you don’t, I kill you. Either way, you lose!” She lifted her hands and around them began forming the familiar crackling electricity.Wait for it... The other harbingers stayed still, each of them afraid of being shot if they moved but knowing very well that they’d live if they just waited. Luka himself smiled at his own plan. He had run them in a few circles to stall for this moment, he just needed a little longer. Wait for it... The female harbinger began the motion of pointing her hands forward, ready to unleash her attack. Unfortunately for her, he didn’t let her. “It’s over, rea-” Her banter was cut short by an arrow between the eyes. As the other harbingers began charging towards him, he heard the sound of his ride approaching. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion. Luka turned and leapt off the building, landing with another roll on a speeding train. He ran to the front of it, and only then did he turn around to flash a smile at the remaining enemies. They decided to jump on after him, and a light chuckle escaped Luka’s lips as he saw that one of the three didn’t make it. The best part is that unless that teleporting bastard wants a train to the face, he won’t be coming behind me. Things were turning in his favor.

Luka reloaded his crossbow as they approached and was able to take out yet another foe, and the final one jumped off the side knowing he wouldn’t be able to reach him quickly enough. It was finally just Luka alone. He sat down and took a few deep breaths, then took a thin metal box out of his quiver. He knew that if he was going to face the teleporting harbinger that a regular arrow wouldn’t cut it. He had one of his friends set it up with a magical lock that was opened when he said a specific set of words. “Прости, мама.“ The case opened with a click and Luka immediately felt the drain of energy. Inside were his “utility arrows”. He reached inside and grabbed one of the red-tipped ones; one of his explosive arrows. He purchased them from Earth, but they were too technologically advanced for him to use them regularly, so he kept them locked away just in case. There was no way that harbinger could escape the blast radius from this without knowing it was coming in advance. Luka loaded his crossbow with it, feeling as if his energy were leaking through an imaginary hole inside him, and waited.

For a few moments, all seemed peaceful. He started letting himself believe that he had won this little bout and was now free to go help Nox, but not long after he started to think that, he was proven wrong. The train passed through a tunnel, but when it reached the other side Luka was thrown off it by a powerful wind. As he fell through the air, another blast tossed him high into the air before yet another thrust him downward. He hit the ground hard and immediately felt a sharp pain throughout his entire body, but it was especially bad in his right leg. He found himself unable to move it. Looking around frantically, Luka saw that he was near an alleyway and crawled into it, thinking only of the need to cover his back side. His biggest concern was the teleporter, not this new mysterious wind user, no matter how strong he was. Soon he reached the end of the alley, surrounded by walls at every direction except upwards and ahead with only one arrow and a nearby dumpster at his disposal. Then he heard it; the unforgettable voice of the teleporter.

“What did I say about shooting our people?” The harbinger stepped into the alleyway and stood there with half a dozen other harbingers behind him. “I thought I could just leave you to that group, but I guess I should have expected as much from you, Mr. Warehouse-Reaper.” One of the harbingers behind him stepped forward, presumably to land the finishing blow. “It was a stupid mistake, but it won’t happen again.” The teleporter took a much harsher tone as he said that. Luka lifted his crossbow. “I’m going to make sure that this time they finish you. Oh, and just so you know, my name is Attano and this is your executioner Zephyros. Goodbye, reaper.”

“Nice to meet you, my name’s Luka Sokolov.” With that, Luka let his arrow fly, aiming toward the center of the group. BOOM! A flash and a cloud of heat and debris consumed the harbingers. Luka was knocked back and gained several cuts, but he immediately struggled and climbed into the dumpster. This way he would be hidden from Attano or any of the other harbingers if they escaped that explosion. Regardless, there was no way he would be able to defeat any of them in combat in his condition. As much as it pained him to do so, he began to create a portal back to Limbo. He could only hope now that Nox managed to complete the mission. Nay, that he managed to survive.
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Luka immediately felt the familiar dry air of his home. He took a moment to lay there, a pile of torn flesh and broken bones. He had failed the mission and there was little hope that Nox could handle whatever threat was sent his way in addition to Attano alone. Luka struggled to get up, naively hoping that he could “tough it out” and help Nox, but after excruciating pain he collapsed back on the ground. I really am useless... He began to cast the numbing spell over himself as he began to think about what he would tell the Grim Reapers as to his failure. The response was simple, though. The harbingers had new recruits and a reaper may be dead all because he wasn’t good enough. They were wrong to trust him with that mission. Tears began to form in Luka’s eyes in anger at himself. Wallowing in self pity... How pathetic... He finished casting the spell and began the journey of hobbling to Dr. Krieg’s place once again.